I love Anime and have been watching various Anime shows and movies for more than a decade now. One of the things that is important if you are planning on watching anime is the question: dubbed or subbed?
Anime Basics
Anime is hard to define, it is a Japanese form of animation aimed at all age groups. Anime has a distinctive style where characters often have exaggerated large eyes and hairstyles. What makes Anime different from Western animations is that Western animations are mostly aimed at kids and preteens and Anime has movies and shows that are also for mature audiences. If anything most Anime have themes that are not suited for young children.
Popular Anime shows are Naruto, One Piece, Sword Art Online and Attack on Titan (Attack on Titan is definitely not suited for young children).
Language barrier
Since Anime is Japanese it stands to reason that the original language spoken in Anime shows and movies is also Japanese. To overcome this there are two options that are very foreign (no pun intended) to native English speakers but very familiar to non native English speakers, Dub or Sub.
The Dub
Dubbing is where the foreign dialogue is replaced with another language. In the case of Anime, English speaking voice actors will record the new dialogue in English instead of Japanese. This way the English speaking audience will have a better understanding of what is happening in the Anime.
The Sub
Instead of replacing the dialogue, you can add English subtitles to the Anime. This way you retain the original voice acting but have to add text to the Anime for the translation.
Pros and Cons
Living in Europe and in the Netherlands in particular, I am used to subtitles. All Foreign movies and shows are subbed. I even find that I can not watch a movie or show without any subtitles. It's not that my grasp of the English language is that bad but it is just something that I have grown accustomed to. Even when watching American shows online I add the English subtitles just because it feels "familiar".
It also has its advantages when dealing with different accents, Scottish and Irish accents for example (I am talking about the British Scots and Irish) can be hard for a non native English speaker to understand.
For native English speakers subtitles can be distracting, they are more likely to have a preference for dubbing.
However I feel that dubbing takes away a lot of the authenticity of the Anime. A lot gets lost in the translation and it does a disservice to the original voice actors.
To Conclude
My opinion is that to really enjoy Anime you should watch the subtitled versions because these show the Anime as it was intended (with exception of the subtitles of course).
It is hard for Western audiences to get over the cartoons-are-for-kids state of mind. But Anime are worth watching even (or especially) if you are an adult. There is a wide variety of genres available from action, romance, thrillers to horror and the always popular adult xxx- themed Hentai.
Tips
If this post peaked your interest in Anime my advice would be to start with the cult classic Akira.
Other great Anime aimed at adults are:
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Great show about giant Robots with a theological theme and also addresses things like emotional child abuse.Death Note
Psychological thriller about a serial killer with a supernatural notebook and the genius detective who is trying to catch him.Attack on Titan
The last remnants of humankind are trying to survive and defend themselves against giant beings who would like nothing more than to eat them.Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress
In a post apocalyptic world overrun by zombie-like creatures the last survivors of human kind are trying to find a safe harbor.
Anime lovers tell me what you think, Sub or Dub? Let me know in the comment section.
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